Again
by polysgirl
Summary: Well, actually, title less... Steph has an accident...Babe.


Includes last week's weekend challenge.

Thanks, Stayce, for fixing it so it's readable, as always :)

* * *

The rain was coming in sheets, and I could barely see out the windshield. I couldn't believe that only, oh, a half hour ago, it was gorgeous and sunny and I was making my way home from Atlantic City. Now I was on some old highway, the "scenic" route, detoured because of construction, with another 20 minutes before I hit Trenton city limits. Not only that**, dark **clouds had rolled in...no, not dark clouds, but black clouds... and in the middle of a major thunder clap, the rain unleashed. It was so heavy and strong that I couldn't see the road in front of me, even with my wipers on full blast. And when I met vehicles, I couldn't see anything but the lights coming at me.

I, apparently, wasn't the only one having that problem, because the lights currently in front of me swerved, and swerved again. I tried to stay on my side of the road, and I was pretty sure I managed, but then the lights swerved at me, again, and the looming grill of a semi was almost on top of me. With a shriek that I couldn't stop, I jerked the wheel hard to the right, hitting a guard rail I didn't even know was there, and then I was rolling.

All I was aware of was the weightless sensation and the scream of crumpling metal and cracking glass as the Porsche rolled, like a kid rolling down a hill. Suddenly, we were freefalling, the car tilting until we were nosediving, and then the harsh jerk of Ranger's Porsche hitting...something. The **hood **crumpled into an accordion against the windshield, and the windshield fell apart into the car, as the car landed partially on its front end, and all I could see was black, and then I was upside down. The Porsche sputtered, and then died, and all I could hear was rain hitting the vehicle. I tried to move my left arm, to open the car door, but my arm was pinned. I moved my right - that one could move, and reached over to try and unpin my arm, and open the door, but I couldn't do either. I pulled on the handle, and pushed against the door, but it was stuck. Think, Stephanie. If I could find my cell phone, I could call out. I reached around, feeling for my purse, but I couldn't find it. I couldn't even see it. A whimper echoed through the car, one I hadn't even realized I'd let out. I was trapped, and nobody knew where I was... the car creaked and groaned, and then I started to scream.

I was jerked back to reality, God knows how long it had been since I had drifted off into a haze of semi-consciousness, by the whirr of machinery. And then the Porsche was rolling again, and I was right side up, and metal screamed as machinery did...something. Something lifted the roof of the car, and then it was raining on me. I groaned and flailed a hand at the water droplets.

"She's conscious!" A voice rang out, and then there were people around me, shining a light in my eyes, taking my blood pressure, asking me questions, putting a collar around my neck, lifting me... I couldn't keep track until I was on a stretcher, allowed to take stock of my surroundings.

"Cupcake? Oh, thank God." Joe was at my side, his hand warm on mine, and I blinked at him.

"It wasn't my fault."

"A skip run you off the road?" He asked, his voice going hard. "And what on earth are you doing out here?"

"Had to go to Atlantic City on an errand. Not skip related. No skips are after me right now. I don't think. Are they?" I asked him.

"Well, there weren't any this morning when you left my house. But you never mentioned a trip to Atlantic City either."

"It kind of came up at the last minute."

"What kind of errand could you possibly have?"

"It was for a friend."

Joe glanced behind him, I think at the car. "Let me guess. For Ranger?"

I didn't answer him, and that was enough for him to know he was right. "What on earth kind of job could he possibly need you to do in Atlantic City?"

_"Babe.__ I need a favor."_

_Oh, great. Favors for Ranger never seemed to work out right, I cringed, remembering the Dickie fiasco. Well, ok, so maybe that was mostly my fault. "What kind of favor?"_

_"I need you to find a birthday gift for Julie."_

_"Why me?"_

_"You're a girl." He said with a slight shrug. I narrowed my eyes and he snaked an arm around me, pulling me flush against him. "She's growing up, and I've no idea what to get her." He admitted, his lips brushing softly against mine._

_"Yeah, but isn't that what you have Ella for?"_

_The corners of Ranger's mouth tightened, a Ranger-version of a sigh. "She'd point out that I should get to know my daughter so I would know what to get her."_

_"She's right. You should." I told him. "But that would be too much like one of those relationships you don't do, right?" I ducked out of his arms and huffed a sigh as I put some distance between us. "Fine. I'll do it. Where do you want me to go, what do you want me to get her."_

_"If I knew that, I'd go myself."_

_"Do you have ANY ideas?" Because I sure didn't._

_"Jewellery.__ Teenagers like jewellery... Don't they?" Ranger asked, and I thought I saw a sliver of desperation in his eyes._

_"Right.__ Ok. How much do you want me to spend?"_

_"Whatever it takes."__ He said, handing me his credit card. "Buy something nice for yourself while you're at it." His eyes flashed dark, and he pulled me up against him again and flashed me his wolf grin. "Something you can model for me later. Naked."_

_"Uh huh.__ Morelli?" I reminded him._

_"I could change your mind about Morelli." His gaze pierced mine as he released me, and turned towards his car._

_"Probably you could, but you won't. Another one of those relationships you don't do." _

_Ranger didn't even look back. "There is that." He admitted. Of course._

"Cupcake?"

Oh yeah, Joe was waiting for an answer. "It wasn't a job, just an errand. Probably you don't want to know."

"Probably, you're right." Joe sighed, then ran his hand over his face. When he spoke again, his voice was conversational, but at the same time, bewildered. "Trouble just follows you no matter what. I don't think I can do this anymore."

I knew what he meant, and I knew without a doubt that he was right. "Yeah," I agreed softly, "You're right."

"I do love you." He was apologetic as he trailed a finger down my cheek.

"Yeah. Same here." But it wasn't the right kind of love. It wasn't a forever kind of love. It was really only a matter of time.

"Manoso's here." Joe said suddenly, straightening. "He's running down the hill, staring at the Porsche... Ah, here he comes. I'll leave you guys. He'll probably want to know what happened to his car."

"Kind of obvious, isn't it?"

"Hate to be in your shoes, Cupcake. That was an expensive car." Joe grinned at me, then hopped out of the ambulance and headed off to do whatever cops do.

I didn't have to wait and worry about Ranger's reaction, because before I had a chance, he was in my field of vision, staring down at me almost desperately, looking decidedly rattled.

"Are you ok?"

"How bad's the car?" I countered.

"Babe. How bad are you hurt? Where are you hurt?"

"Is the car a write off?" It didn't matter how badly I was hurt if he killed me for destroying another of his vehicles.

"It's only a car." He said, and then his hands were running down the length of my body, as if he was assuring himself I was all there.

"I think I'm ok."

"Your arm is bleeding. What happened?"

"I...I don't know." I said, and then I could feel the heat of tears streaming down my face. Ranger's hands cradled my head, his thumbs brushing at the tears. "I was driving, and it was storming, and then a semi was in my lane...My purse, it's in the car. Julie's gift is in it." I suddenly remembered again why I was even out here. I'd found a lovely man-in-the-moon pendant, and I didn't want it to get lost when the Porsche was taken... to whatever heaven Porsches go to.

"Not important right now." Ranger told me. "Shit, Steph. The car...It's... You shouldn't even be alive."

"Just what I wanted to hear." I tried for sarcasm, but my voice broke halfway through. Ranger started to say something else, but stopped when Joe's voice filtered in.

"Here, Cupcake. Brought your stuff from the car." He placed my purse on the foot of the stretcher, then handed a black bag I recognized as his gym bag - usually kept in the back of his truck - to Ranger. "I'm not going to ask if you have a permit for those. And I want the bag back once we're back in Trenton." Joe glanced at me, then back at Ranger. "The EMT's would like to leave." He stated, then ducked out of the ambulance.

"I don't want to go to the hospital." I told Ranger, struggling against the restraining straps. The last thing I wanted was the renewed Burg and media attention. Especially when Joe wouldn't be there to deflect it.

"Too bad. You're going." His tone was final and his eyes bore into me.

"I don't want to go in an ambulance." I tried a different tact. "You can drive me."

"You're staying on that backboard until you're x-rayed and MRI'd and cleared by a doctor."

"Who the hell died and gave you permission to make my decisions." I snapped. Realistically, I knew I was being childish now, but I was still shaken, and if the ambulance took me, Ranger would leave to follow in his car, and if Ranger left to follow, he wouldn't be with me, and if he wasn't with me, I was alone, and I didn't want to be alone.

"Babe. Those thoughts go any faster and you're head will fall off." He sat, then, on the bench beside me, and took my hand in both of his, squeezing gently. "I'll see you at the hospital." He stood again, brushed his lips against mine, and then turned to leave the ambulance as one of the paramedics cleared their throat in the doorway.

"Are you mad about the car?" I asked, desperate to stall him for one more minute, and wanting to know, so I didn't wonder forever about payback, and what it would be.

He turned back and his gaze met mine, his expression solemn and slightly shaken. "Plenty more cars where that one came from. There is no other you."

* * *

It was a long few hours later when they finally released me from the hospital. Thank God, everyone had left except Joe and Ranger, sitting two chairs apart in silence in the waiting area. My family had all filed in to make sure I was alive while I waited for an MRI, and then Joe had managed to convince them to go home - that he'd call if anything was desperately wrong. I had fourteen stitches in my arm, and was battered and bruised, but not broken.

"Well, she's all yours." Joe snorted as he shot a sidelong glance at Ranger. "Unless, of course, Stephanie objects."

I narrowed my eyes at them, unimpressed that Joe would leave ME to openly stick myself in that kind of a position. Why the hell should he make me choose spur of the moment? And what would happen if I chose wrong? Was there a right? Or a wrong? I much preferred when one of the men just...told me who was babysitting this time. What if I said I didn't object, but... well, mostly, what if I was too much of a pain in the ass? What if, like Joe, Ranger didn't want me?

"Babe." Ranger's eyes were narrowed, and I knew he was reading my mind again. "Wrong thing to worry about."

Well, shit. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "I'll just go back to my apartment." I looked at Ranger. "Will you drive me?"

"No." Ranger's tone was dark and final at the same time as Joe protested that I couldn't stay alone tonight.

I blew out a breath. "Well... will Ella make me breakfast?"

"Ella will give you pineapple upside down cake for breakfast, if that's what you really want."

"Great. Put my order in. I'll sleep on the 4th floor."

"No apartments open on 4. Come on, we'll discuss sleeping arrangements on the way home."

"I don't think I wanted to hear that." Joe grumbled as we left the hospital and Ranger escorted me to the Expedition he was driving. Ranger helped me into the passenger seat without saying anything, then went around to the driver's side. As he swung his door open, Joe's hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist. Ranger turned, a look in his eye that would have even had me dropping his arm and cowering backwards, severely apologetic. As it was, Joe paled, but didn't let go. "You fuck up with her, you hurt her, you answer to me." He told Ranger, before letting go, turning, and stalking away.

Ranger closed the door, did up his seatbelt, then turned to me, his gaze assessing. "You want to tell me what that was about?"

"Not really." I told him, resting my head back against the seat and closing my eyes.

"Wrong answer." His voice went flat, and I squished my eyes closed tighter.

"Joe can't do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"This. Us. Me, mostly."

"Explain."

I opened my eyes then, and met his gaze. "Apparently, my lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships." I told him, not at all unaware that I was using his line. His lips quirked up.

"Maybe you need to find a relationship that lends itself to your lifestyle." He suggested.

"Maybe you oughta take your own advice." I shot back, closing my eyes again and dismissing him.

I heard the Expedition's engine roll over, and then the vehicle was moving. I kept my eyes closed, fighting against the headache that was building in intensity by the minute, and let my mind grow blank until I felt the vehicle turn and stop, waiting for the gates at Rangeman. "I thought we were going to discuss sleeping arrangements."

"And spoil your fun while you were trying so hard to pretend I don't exist?" He asked, and I could hear the amusement in his voice. "There isn't anything to discuss, anyhow. You'll sleep on 7th. In my bed. You've slept there before."

Yeah, but that was when I was with Morelli, and I wasn't with Morelli anymore, and there wasn't even the threat that I probably would be again next week, because I wouldn't be, not ever again, and if he knew that, he would be in my bed...or just keep me chained in his... and I wasn't sure I was ready for that... Or more for the morning after when he walked away.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, and I realized I'd babbled my thoughts out loud...Again.

"About what?"

"Morelli."

"Oh. Yeah."

"How sure?"

"How sure is TOO sure? I'm as sure as is possible without being TOO sure."

"Babe." I could hear the eye-roll in Ranger's voice, as he shook his head. "Only you."

"That's the only thing you're going to comment on?" I asked, as we rode the elevator to the 7th floor. The silence was oppressive, and I had to break it.

"I'll deal with the rest later." He told me, and I could feel the assessment, and the promise, in his eyes. I wasn't at all sure that that was a good thing. "It'll be good. It'll be very good." There was no mistaking the promise in THAT sentence. His arm wrapped around me and tucked me up against him, and we rode like that the rest of the way to the 7th floor.

"I need to shower." I told him as I slipped out of my shoes, one hand on his arm for support. My head was killing me. He scanned my body with his eyes, head to toe, and nodded. "Ok." And he gave me a push towards the bedroom. That was all the invitation I needed. I ducked into his sinfully luxurious bathroom, and promptly sat down on the closed toilet lid as a wave of dizziness hit me. And then it wouldn't go away. They'd told me I didn't have a concussion, but maybe it was just shock finally setting in. I wasn't sure... all I knew was I wasn't sure I could stand.

I don't know how long I sat there, trying to get my bearings, but it had to be a while because next thing I knew, Ranger was knocking on the door. Ranger? Knocking?

"Babe? How come the shower's not on? Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Fine." I called out, but my voice sounded shaky even to myself. The doorknob rattled, then turned, and Ranger strode in, scanning the room, and me, with an alert and trained eye. He looked me over, then came and dropped down in front of me, trailing a finger down my cheek.

"Need help?"

"I'm pretty sure the answer's supposed to be no." I gave him a weak laugh, trying to laugh it off. The last thing he'd want around was someone helpless.

Ranger let out a breath that was as close to a sigh as I'd ever heard from him, then stood and moved off. He turned on the shower, then turned so I could only see his side-ways profile, and started to strip. His shirt came off first, and then he slid out of his cargos...and only his cargos. I might have moaned at the reality of **commando** Ranger, because he turned and gazed at me with hooded eyes. "Not tonight. You're in no condition..." Yeah...but I was drooling. "Babe." He came over to me, supremely confident even in his naked state, then pulled me to my feet and stripped me out of my clothes. I must have zoned out in my naked-Ranger fantasy, because the next thing I knew he had gotten us both into the shower and warm water was sluicing down on me.

I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy the feeling of being taken care of - his steady fingers massaging shampoo through my scalp, his hands running over my body as he ran a sponge of Bulgari down my arms, and body, and legs. At one point, I wobbled and reached out for the wall. Before I could find it, Ranger's arm snaked around my waist, anchoring me against him. I rested my head on his shoulder and leaned into him as my body started to shake. Then, he wrapped his other arm around me too, and rested his head on top of mine, holding me until the shaking had toned itself down to slight trembling.

When I was kind of steady on my feet again, Ranger shut the water off and wrapped me in a towel before leading me to the bedroom, one arm around my waist. One of my Rangeman-embroidered sets of underwear, and one of Ranger's own t-shirts were laid out on the bed. I scrambled into them as Ranger slid himself into his black **silk** boxers, and then turned down the bedsheets.

"**Lie** down." He told me, then he tucked the covers around me.

"Aren't you-"

"In a minute." he interrupted, before he disappeared into the living room. True to his word, he was back in a minute, a plate of chocolate chip cookies in hand.

"Are you going to eat those?" I asked, looking first at the deliciously puffy cookies, and then at Ranger. He didn't answer. Instead, he placed the cookies on the nightstand, and then slid into bed, raising me up and sliding in behind me so that I was half sitting up, leaning against him. Then he handed me one of Ella's sinful creations. "I can't believe you had Ella bring me cookies at..." I glanced at the clock, "eleven thirty at night." I mumbled around a mouthful.

Ranger didn't answer, he just waited until I was done eating, then tucked me back down, and curled his body around me. I wound up wrapped in his arms, his hands rubbing gentle circles along my back and shoulders, my face buried in his neck. I hummed a sigh, and started to drift off.

"You need to be more careful." Ranger's voice was soft, and slightly shaken. "There's no logical reason for you to have made it out of that wreck alive."

"Maybe I'm immortal." I joked, burrowing deeper into his neck.

"Not funny, Babe."

"Does this mean you can't handle this anymore, either?"

"Explain."

I told him, briefly, about Joe.

"I'll manage. As long as you don't put yourself in danger intentionally."

We were silent for a while, then he rolled us, so I was on my back and he was leaning over me, careful not to put his weight on my many sore spots. His lips touched mine, and then his tongue slid into my mouth, tangling with mine in a gentle, almost hesitant kiss.

"What was that?" I asked against his lips.

"Taking my own advice." He answered, then kissed me one more time, long and lingering. He rolled us and tucked me against him again, and this time I did start to drift off.

I was on the edge of sleep, teetering and just about to let myself fall, when his voice whispered again in the dark. "I need you. I can't lose you."

I kissed his neck, my lips against his pulse-point, and then I gave myself to sleep, and the comfort of knowing that this time, there was no way he'd let me go.


End file.
